Want to photograph you with my mind, to feel how I feel now all the time.

Buckle up buck-a-roos! This is a long post and it took me a long time to write up because I have so many and I did some narrowing down. Some will make sense out of context and some – well, it would too much to explain. That’s why I had to do some editing. The ones I chose are either the most memorable or classic quotes from that book, or they just really stuck with me because they made me laugh, cry, or I just found it so poetic.

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion.

“Music? Music is life! It’s physical emotion – you can touch it! It’s neon ecto-energy sucked out of spirits and switched into sound waves for your ears to swallow.”

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”

Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story by Jewel.

“I would try to be as bold as that blue waterfall that had the audacity to liberate itself from stone.”

“We cannot always control or avoid what happens to us, but we can control what it does to our spirit.”

“Hatred is hurt masquerading-it is an energy used to fool someone into thinking they are frightening when in truth they are frightened.”

Every Day by David Levithan.
“Some days are like this. And the only way to get through them is remember that they are only one day, and that every day ends.”

Another Day by David Levithan.

“Most of the time when we think we’re looking for death, we’re really looking for love.”

Star Wars: Dark Disciple by Christie Golden.

“Your virtue is safe with me. Your discomfort is rather charming, actually, but I’m sure you’ll get over it.”

“The overall effect made Vos like a falcon poised in that exquisite instant between free fall and flight, and for a moment he couldn’t breath.”

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden.

“But I think you should be careful, Batyushka, that God does not speak in the voice of your own wishing. We have never needed saving before.”

“It is a cruel task, to frighten people in God’s name.”

Morning Star by Pierce Brown.

“Molten wounds still glow where the two nuclear bombs detonated. And I wonder, in my last moments, if the planet does not mind that we wound her surface or pillage her bounty, because she knows we silly warm things are not even a breath in her cosmic life.”

“Mobs are soulless things that feed on fear and momentum and prejudice.”

“Government is never the solution, but it is almost always a problem. I’m a capitalist. And I believe in effort and progress and the ingenuity of our species.. The continuing evolution and advancement of our kind based on fair competition. Fact of the matter is, Gold does not want man to continue to evolve. Since the conquering, they have routinely stifled advancement to maintain their heaven…”

Golden Son by Pierce Brown.

“He looks like a Miltonian angel falling with wrath and glory. His exoskeleton sheds its friction armor, as Lucifer might have shed the fetters of heaven, feathers of flame peeling off, fluttering behind. Then a missile slashes the sky and high-grade explosives christen him mortal once again.”

“No. Don’t speak. It’s not your turn just because I pause.”

“I will die. You will die. We will all die and the universe will carry on without care. All that we have is that shout into the wind – how we live. How we go. And how we stand before we fall.”

“Rise so high, in mud you lie.”

“And what is the bloodydamn point of surviving in this cold world if I run from the only warmth it has to offer?”

“And the next time you get handed something magical – whether you expect it or not – behave like the witch you are, not some silly human. Don’t ignore it or tell yourself you’re imagining things.” Willful ignorance and dismissing the supernatural were at the top of Sarah’s list of human pet peeves. “Treat it with respect, and if you don’t know what to do, ask for help.”
“Promise,” I said quickly, wanting to get off the phone. But Sarah wasn’t through yet.
“I never thought I’d see the day when a Bishop relied on a vampire for protection, rather than her own power,” she said. “My mother must be turning in her grave…”

She [Sarah] picked up three wineglasses and waved them in Matthew’s direction. “Got any more of that wine, Casanova?”
“I’m French, Sarah, not Italian. And I’m a vampire. I always have wine,” Matthew said with a wicked smile.

Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness.

“I just killed a man! This isn’t the moment to discuss our marriage.”
“Nonsense. Marrying amid bloodshed is a de Clermont family tradition,” Philippe said briskly.

“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.”

“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling.
“Ginny!” said Mr. Weasley, flabbergasted. “Haven’t I taught you anything? What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can’t see where it keeps its brain?”

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling.
“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.”

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling.
“Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory.”

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling.
“Wit beyond measure is man’s greatest treasure.”

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling.
“Do you remember me telling you we are practicing non-verbal spells, Potter?”
“Yes,” said Harry stiffly.
“Yes, sir.”
“There’s no need to call me ‘sir’ Professor.”
The words had escaped him before he knew what he was saying.”

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling.

“Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all those who live without love.”

My sister and I got to Barnes and Noble pretty early and we got some good seats.
She had not read Iron Gold yet, but I finished it the day before.

Pierce spoke about the different POVs in Iron Gold and how his writing had to change. He usually does not outline, but he had to for IG and the next book Dark Age, not just because there is more going on but for pacing and syncing up different POVs that have to match at the same point in time. Otherwise there would be a lot of rewriting.

Something Pierce said that I related too when I write was that sometimes when writers outline they have so much energy and momentum while doing so but then lose it when it comes time to actually write. So sometimes it is better to just go for it.

This part threw me off because I noticed that Pierce changed his answer in another interview. At this event he said Lysander was the hardest to write because he’s so smart, and Lyria was the easiest to write. He thought Lyria would be the hardest.

One thing I really liked was when Pierce said that the readers have different experiences in life and it’s not an author’s duty to tell others how to think but to ask questions.

The Q&A portion with the audience was great. These were some of my favorites:

1)Someone asked what are the other Howlers’ real names. Pierce answered that he will reveal them in due time and it wasn’t an oversight to omit them, just there is a way he wants those details to be presented. He also has to find his notes to remember them. HA!

He also spoke a little bit about the differences in his former editor, Mike Braff and his new editor, Tricia Narwani. Mike had become one of his best friends and Mike’s complements could be counted on one hand. He’d say the pacing was slow and get to the killing. So Pierce would put in an Obsidian to distract him. Mike called Obsidians “Space Vikings.”

This is a funny story: Pierce told Mike that the end of Golden Son had a wedding. When he got to the end Mike was sending him messages in all caps and called him. But he was in his cubical so he had to use his inside voice but was clearly like WTF!?

Tricia was a beta reader before, the first person after Mike to read the drafts, so there is still continuity there. She is more complimentary and helps with the pacing when his world building slows down the story.

He has pages and pages of world building and his editor(s) would tell him it’s great and none of it will be used. I think that right there is a great start for a World of Red Rising Encyclopedia.

2)Another person commented how Lyria was written beautifully and wanted to know if he would ever write a novella from Mustang’s POV – as a mother and Sovereign.

Pierce said, “No comment. Seriously.”

Now I have nothing but speculations about Dark Age!

3) This was my favorite question of the night: When Pierce began writing Morning Star he wasn’t going to write a story about the aftermath, the what happens after the Death Star explodes. Is there any series, TV or book, that Pierce would like a follow up like Iron Gold?

Pierce answered almost all of them because when you are in the Falcon or at Hogwarts you feel like you are at home. You miss your home and you miss your friends.

The problem is…would the additions ruin the initial trilogy? He said it’s his burden/responsibility not to demean actions of the first three books: the original story, personal journeys and sacrifices of the characters.

So then, and this was my favorite part of the night, Pierce used The Last Jedi as an example. Luke’s evolution demeaned him from the the Original Trilogy.

Pierce wants to add on to the same journey with Iron Gold. The story should feel like the same characters and not a restart but an evolution of them as older people.

Sometimes he thinks he wants more but maybe it’s better not to have more. Many series go past their prime. He knows this story is not past its prime because he’s exhilarated to write this trilogy and if it didn’t feel right he wouldn’t write it. He doesn’t want to dilute or make the past consequences feel insignificant so that the fans feel cheap for reading it and then have fans say “that’s not my canon” or “not my Darrow.”

By not taking a big break and going right into this new trilogy he has kept the same tone. And there are new things to explore through the different POVs. We see more of the world and culture, and the cracks in their civilization. So it feels richer, and when we reread the first trilogy we’ll know all this is going on outside Darrow’s POV.

Before the signing portion we concluded the Q&A with a collective howl. People in B&N must have been like, WTF, lol.

Mostly I like to read a book for the first time in printed form then I like to reread the story in audiobook form. So mostly likely if I am rereading – it’s on Audible. I especially love rereading favorite series because when you know the outcomes you catch all the hints you missed, all the foreshadowing, and all the world building. Rereading also feels like going home again.

1. Red Rising saga.
I haven’t had Audible for that long, maybe only a couple of years. Each time a new book came out I read the previous installments. Now that I have the Audible app I listen to the books. And now that I have read the e-book of Iron Gold I’ll listen to the audiobook.

Fun fact: The way Tim Gerard Reynolds does Ragnar’s voice is the best ever. You can feel the bold type as it’s written in the books. I also really love the deep voice he does for Karnus.

2. All Souls Trilogy. Actually every year the fans do a Real Time Reading, where we read the chapters that correspond to the dates they take place. It’s easiest for the first book, A Discovery of Witches, which takes place over 40 days. The second and third are too stretched over time so there is a condensed calendar for RTR on a Facebook group I belong to. Though I have to admit with rereading the Red Rising trilogy and Iron Gold I fell behind on the RTR of Shadow of Night (I finished a week or so after the RTR calendar we have on the Facebook page) and have not started The Book of Life.

Fun fact: I love the way Jennifer Ikeda does Emperor Rudolf’s voice. He’s like a stuffy, whiny, entitled snot.

3. Pride & Prejudice. Rosemund Pike, she played Jane in the 2005 film, narrated P&P. Her voice for Mr. Collins is so funny. Anytime I reread it I always picture the 2005 cast.

4. Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story by Jewel.
Being such a big fan I thought I knew everything but she tells so much more about her life in this memoir. It’s also part self-help. I love the emotion she puts into her narration.

5. The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe.
I love the sinister darkness of this story. What revenge! The audiobook is only 15 minutes long so it’s really easy to listen to over and over and earn Audible badges really fast. Also, B.J. Harrison is the best at narrating Poe’s stories. The way he has Fortunato say “Amontillado” – it cracks me up.
(Getting off track: I have his narration of The Count of Monte Cristo, which I started but will finish next month. That is a first time read.)

6. Harry Potter – I started doing a reread with The Sorcer’s Stone and then got sidetracked but I want to finish my reread before seeing The Cursed Child in April.

7. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. This is actually one book I have yet to get the audiobook for. It’s an emotional reread but it’s a classic from my teenage years.

This isn’t a terribly long list. I could only come up with two genres.

1. Young Adult. I shouldn’t say I would never read it again or not read the ones on my TBR piles, but I don’t pick them up as much as I used to. I can’t say why exactly but I haven’t found one to WOW me. They have become a bit redundant – especially if they take place in a fantasy setting versus the real world. Oh, also I am a bit tired out of dystopian settings. So a little break is needed.

2. Womens’ Literature. Or what they used to call Chick Lit. I used to love Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic series, though I stopped before she has the baby. Or maybe I didn’t even read the one that came before with the surprise little sister? I used to want to read all of her books to catch up and now I have moved on. I also just don’t buy that genre anymore for the same reason, the formula became redundant.

1) Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala – Star Wars. I am a sucker for forbidden love. I know some of the dialogue from the films are really cheesy and at times cringe-worthy, but it’s what lies underneath. Though they each have their oaths and responsibilities this couple throws caution to the wind to follow their hearts- unfortunately to their doom. Plus, they are so much fun to write in fan fiction.

2. Darrow and Mustang – Red Rising saga. They work so well together as leaders at the Insitute. He keeps her at arms length (for various reasons) but when they lead they’re warriors together – and it is gold. (Yes, that is a pun.) I love their intellectual foreplay (that sparring scene in Golden Son!) It is not a love based on shallow feelings but a partnership and in the end a mutual goal. Even if there are bumps along the way. When they finally get together I was like, “YES!”

3. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy – Pride and Prejudice. In the words of Sheldon Cooper, P&P is “a flawless masterpiece. He’s got too much pride, she’s got too much prejudice. It just works.” I love the journey they take to overcome their flaws and realize they belong together.

4. Monica Geller and Chandler Bing – Friends. There is nothing better than falling in love with your best friend. Friendship is the foundation of lasting love. I cried tears of joy during their milestone episodes. Everyone goes on and on about Ross and Rachel, but Monica and Chandler were my OTP since season 1.

5. Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont – All Souls Trilogy My favorite part of their romance is the trial and tribulations they go through in Shadow of Night. There are some really steamy love scenes and some really good relationship development moments that happen in the second book.

6. Sevro au Barca and Victra au Julii – Red Rising saga
They are quite the odd pair. She tall and gorgeous. He’s short and looks like a goblin. But they have the same crazy demeanor and will tell anyone the truth, even it hurts. They are also both fiercely loyal. It’s funny rereading Golden Son because he started out not trusting her and she though he was vulgar (which he is) and foolish. So seeing how that changes in Morning Star and now Iron Gold is gorydamn great.

7. Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood – The Mortal Instruments series. Here is my vice for forbidden love again with Shadowhunters being prejudice against Warlocks, and the older generations being homophobic. Then Magnus and Alec have other obstacles too. Like the fact that Magnus is immortal and Alec has a jealous steak. Unlike Anakin and Padmé, they get a happy ending.

I wish I had been born a princess or an heiress so I could just sit around all day and read. Or that I was in that Twilight Zone episode where the world dies except that one man who loves to read. Only I don’t wear glasses so I don’t have to worry about them breaking.

I could easily list over fifty books right now, but I’m sticking with ten. I’ll go with 10 I do intend to read.

(I also might have to consider just selling or donating some of the YA books I bought or picked up on a whim.)

1) Dark Passages by Kathryn Leigh Scott.
I bought it at SDCC (it was 2011, I think) after I saw her at a Dark Shadows panel. Kathryn Leigh Scott played Maggie Evans/Josette duPres on the show.

2) The Salem Branch by Lara Parker.
Yes, same as above, I bought this at SDCC after the Dark Shadows panel. Lara played Angelique and this book is actually set in the Dark Shadows world.

3) The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson. Some of these books on my TBR are so old I can’t remember where I got them or if I bought them.

4) Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier.
I bought this while on vacation long ago. I loved her other book, Rebecca.

1) Adventure of the Hunt Sisters by Elisabeth Robinson. I remember I laughed and cried a lot. And there was something about one of the sisters producing a movie adaptation of Don Quixote with Robin Williams.

2) The Future Homemakers of America by Laurie Graham.
I can’t even remember how long ago I read this. It was before I started keeping track of the books I read so perhaps it’s been about 15 years.

3) Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden.
I remember it was very poetic. I think I remember more about the movie than the book.

4) Outbound Flight by Timothy Zahn. I remember Obi-Wan and Anakin were in it.

5) Alliegance by Timothy Zahn. I just want to do a reread of all of Zahn‘s Star Wars books. My disappointment in the Sequel Trilogy makes me nostalgic for the now “legends” novels that he wrote.